Director: Karen L. Smith, MSS, LCSW

Sample Presentations & Workshops

All topics are selected for and modified by an audience.

For General Audience

• The Politics of Hunger: The American Cultural Message of Beauty 
• Sexual Hunger: Exploring Our Tastes 
• Control, Achievement and Perfectionism in the Eating Disordered World 
• Take Back the Night, Take Back Our Selves 
• Satisfying Your Passions: Hunger as the Guide 
• Living Full Jewish Lives in a Barbie Doll World 
• Original Hunger: A Psychoanalytical look at Eating Disorders 
• The Eating Disorder Line: Diet Consciousness vs. Obsessionality, Fitness vs. Compulsivity 

For Health and Mental Health Professionals

• Eating Disorders 101 for Professionals 
• Making the Clinical Political: Therapy as Radical Social Action 
• Questioning and Queers: Homophobia as Eating Disorder Etiology 
• Addressing Health Issues without Adding Pounds to the Problem 

For Schools

• Can't you kind of Judge a Book by its Cover?! (for School Age Girls & Boys) 
• Sexy Students: Dress Codes in Schools (for Faculty, Parents, and/or Students) 
• Helping our Kids Grow (not shrink!) in School (for Parents) 
• Original Selves: Challenging Societal Expectations (for High School Students) 
• Eating Disorder Groups as Feminist Consciousness Raising (for Educators and Administrators) 

Presentation/Workshop Descriptions

The Politics of Hunger
     The American Cultural Message of Beauty      

     From dieting to disorders, fitness to compulsivity, this talk will critically analyze the current American cultural message of beauty in the self depriving anorexic and the obsessively fit. We will explore body hatred and shame of hunger driving today's epidemic of eating disorders and leaving in its path many who are generally dissatisfied with their bodies and judge their hunger. 

Satisfying Your Passions  ~  Hunger as the Guide

     Expanding the concept of hunger, in all its connotations of desire, longing and yearning, we will explore why being good today means self deprivation, and being bad means partaking in the pleasure of a cookie. This group is particularly well suited for a smaller, intimate workshop.

Sexual Hunger  ~  Exploring Our Tastes

     Disordered eating themes of restriction, bingeing and overeating are just as common for women in the arena of sex. Beyond or before questions of women's sexual objectification, we will explore why most women have kissed someone when they are not "hungry" for it, and whose hunger gets satisfied with a faked orgasm.

Questioning and Queers
Homophobia as Eating Disorder Etiology [For Professionals]

     Operating out of cultural construction theory of eating disorders, we will explore ways eating disorders are differently mediated by self identified gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities. We will offer theory and clinical findings arguing for routine clinical assessment of sexual orientation in the eating disordered client. Workshop will use case studies illuminating correlates, offer assessment tools, encourage adoption of non-heterosexual assumptive language in our work and intake material, and discuss ways to promote positive sexual identity.

Living Full Jewish Lives in a Barbie Doll World

     The cultural milieu that has fueled and sustained an epidemic of eating disorders in the U.S. has also given rise to an increase in body dissatisfaction and shame of hunger in most American women, with Jews as no exception. We will explore the ways this message then gets mediated by Jewish culture/history/text. Text, liturgy, rituals and blessings will be offered as means of healing and attending to out transmission of values to the next Jewish generations.

The Eating Disorder Line  
  Diet Consciousness vs. Obsessionality, Fitness vs. Compulsivity

     What is the difference between caring about ones weight, diet and appearance, and having body issues rule ones life? How can we care about beauty and fitness as a society without promoting eating disorders? Increase you knowledge of this disorder; for yourself, your lovers, your friends, your family, your community.